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City of Kelowna To Build Mountain Bike Skills Park

THURSDAY, 26 FEBRUARY 2009
Submitted By: Sherwin Mapanoo

Shovels will start flying later this year as construction of Kelowna's first mountain bike skills park gets underway.

"The new mountain bike skills park will provide riders of all ages and abilities with hours of fun and excitement," says Barb Davidson, Park & Landscape Planner. "We have been working closely with the mountain biking community over the past year and this type of facility was definitely a priority."

The mountain bike skills park will be located on a 3.4 hectare site at 1960 Hollywood Road South, adjacent to the Mission Creek Greenway. The park will be designed by a mountain bike park expert in collaboration with local riders and the Mountain Bikers of the Central Okanagan. The $243,000 project includes construction of the skills park and amenity improvements. Construction is anticipated to be completed by early fall.

The skills park was one of the recommended priorities in the Kelowna and Area Mountain Bike Strategy presented to City Council on Monday, February 9. The strategy will be used as a guide for future development and management of mountain bike facilities within the City of Kelowna. Other priorities include exploring opportunities to build three additional mountain bike skills parks, building 10 kilometres of new trails at Knox Mountain Park, working with the development community to try and protect existing trails between the Glenmore Highlands and the city's northern boundary, establishing International Mountain Bike Association recognized trails systems in Okanagan Mountain Park and Gillard area, and creating a regional trail coordinating committee.

"Knox Mountain is the most popular area for mountain biking," says Ms. Davidson. "We are hoping to identify appropriate areas for new mountain bike trails this year when we update the Knox Mountain Management Plan."

The Kelowna and Area Mountain Bike Strategy was a partnership between the City of Kelowna and the Regional District of the Central Okanagan. Future projects will be contingent on funding approval by City Council. Visit kelowna.ca, Residents, Parks for additional information on the Mountain Bike Strategy.

Source: www.mtbco.ca

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